Overview & Reviews

Toyota is a Japanese brand whose refined, well-designed vehicles have earned it a great deal of popularity. Toyotas also have a superb record for reliability and durability, which goes a long way toward justifying their typically high purchase prices. For buyers who plan on owning their new vehicles for a long time, the Toyota marque is a very compelling choice.

The automaker's name is a variation of the surname of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. After years of research, Toyoda unveiled his first prototype, the A1, in 1935, marking the birth of the Toyota Motor Corporation. The '40s witnessed the launch of additional passenger cars and even a pickup. By the end of the decade, the automaker had produced more than 100,000 vehicles.

Toyota grew bigger in the '50s and expanded its roster with a slew of new small cars. The company also unveiled the utilitarian BJ truck; this vehicle was the precursor to the Land Cruiser. By the end of the decade, Toyota had commenced exports to the U.S. with the establishment of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. The first Toyota to be sold on American shores was the Crown; it held the distinction of being the first Japanese car to be sold Stateside.

The '60s witnessed even more growth for the emerging juggernaut. Toyota introduced the Corolla, an immensely popular model that is still in production today. Vehicles like the home-market Publica, the 2000GT, Hiace and Miniace were also launched. The decade closed with Toyota reporting annual domestic sales of 1 million units; cumulative exports also reached 1 million.

Japanese-market cars like the Carina, Light Ace and Publica Starlet were launched during the 1970s. In the States, the Corolla grew in popularity and the Corona and Mk II models debuted as well. The successful Celica sports coupe was also rolled out and would remain in production for more than 30 years. Toyota's shadow had spread far beyond Japan by this point. The decade's oil crisis had made the manufacturer's compact, fuel-efficient models more popular than ever in the United States. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker had exported more than 10 million vehicles.

Toyota expanded its presence in the U.S. market during the '80s, with the introduction of popular models like the 4Runner SUV and the MR2 sports car. The true high point of these years, though, was the birth of the Toyota Camry sedan. Originally known as the Celica Camry in Japan, the car went on to be a hit of phenomenal proportions, earning kudos as America's best-selling car of the year time and time again.

During the '90s, Toyota rolled out the Avalon full-size sedan and expanded its selection of SUVs with the compact RAV4. By the end of the decade, more than 100 million Toyota vehicles had been produced in Japan. The company also proved itself on the cutting edge of new technology with the rollout of the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid. The car debuted in Japan in 1997; by 2001, the fuel-sipping sedan had made its way to American highways. Despite the presence of a growing number of competitors in its segment, the Prius continues to boast class-leading sales.

Toyota's current lineup is relatively extensive, including minivans, cars, trucks and SUVs. The brand remains extremely popular among savvy consumers who place a high value on quality and dependability.

User Reviews:

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  Satisfied At First - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By jlt - March 6 - 11:40 am

  I purchased a highlander after reading hundreds of reviews. I was looking for a reliable vehicle this time around. From the first day I bought it, the transmission skipped. The dealership continues to tell me that this is how Toyotas perform. Recently we took the vehicle on vacation and upon returning, we had to have the transmission seal replaced because of a transmission fluid leak. One tire is bad and when rotated, they placed it on the back of the vehicle, so not I need to have that replaced. I only have 25K miles on the car, so I am becoming a skeptic. I love the looks of the car and the interior. It may be time to trade-in, but not sure I would buy a Toyota again - just not sure.

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  CRUIZIN 4 2 - 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Arthur - March 6 - 10:50 am

  This is not my daily car, I have a Camry. The MR2 is awesome, great handling, stopping, & gas mileage. Even with spirited driving it still gets an average of 31 mpg. I have problems when I drive because wife or 6 year old son always want to ride in it, do they make one with 3 seats? Just kidding. Also seals great - even in the torrential florida rain this car does not leak, have 2 other relatives who own Miatas. They both said all convertibles leak til I proved them wrong with my Toyota, plus the MR2 has much stiffer chassis less twitching & no rattles, again better that Miatas.

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  Toyota quality - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By John - March 6 - 9:56 am

  Short and sweet. Love it! Go buy now, you will not regret it. I am not an off roader, but i wanted something stylish with 4 wheel drive for the weather and I took some advice and checked out the FJC and fell in love. Superb fit and finish, quality abounds in and out. How many Toyotas are on the road with over 150k on the dial with their owners still smiling? FJC - you will not be sorry. All the best!

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  ECHO - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By Mark - March 6 - 9:26 am

  Great little car. Im trying to get another one - with little success.

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  Our 06 XLS - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Dale - March 6 - 7:56 am

  We are completely impressed with our XLS, it is truly the vehicle for us, the overall performance of the powertrain is superb, we broke it right in with a 2,500 mile trip right after taking delivery of it & it performed "second to none". We are very satisfied with all aspects of the vehicle for the price paid. Who needs a Lexus when the Avalon is available!!

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  Exceeds expectations - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By privateIdaho - March 6 - 6:40 am

  This is my first hybrid. Better than I was expecting. Got it primarily for fuel economy for daily commute, part city, part 55-60 mph rural highway (not much freeway miles). Got 57.2 actual mpg on first tank, 58.6 on third and most recent tank, current tank at least that good, display shows 62.4 mpg, but the display is 2 to 3 mpg above actual calculated mpg. Isnt powerful, but once while entering freeway I had to punch it to merge, and it surprised me that it delivered. Im 64" and was worried about feeling squeezed, but it is more roomy and comfortable than I was expecting, but I wouldnt call it spacious. Never need EV mode, as throttle easily controls when its all electric or not.

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  Also-ran - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Dissapointed - March 5 - 11:16 am

  I traded in a Chevy Malibu with over 100,000 miles for this car. I would gladly take it back. I had more issues with this car than in all the years I owned the malibu. The engine made a horrible knocking noise. The factory rep said that is normal for a four cylinder, and if I wanted better performance, I should have got the six. He also accused me of not changing the oil although I had all receipts. The seat is rock hard and not suitable for trips over 50 miles. The car is very harsh on bumps, and the glove box pops open from time to time on them! The car looks good on the outside in terms of design, but fit and finish are horrible. The deck lid almost touched the quarterpanel.

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  The perfect car - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Bobby M - March 5 - 8:33 am

  I bought this car with 53,000 mi. on it. This car has been very reliable for 189,000 mi. Transmission went out at 189,000 mi. I had a new trans. put in it. This car still drive like a new car. I believe this car can go another 100,000 mi. trouble free. I am completely sold on Toyota.

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  Boring but reliable - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By loved10 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for going on 3 years and have enjoyed the reliability of it, but it is a very plain and quite boring car. I sure did laugh at the people lining up for gas with their huge vehicles when gas was $4.00 per gallon and I was still cruising on the same tank I had for 2 weeks, however I do usually get only 28 mpg out of it which is less than I expected(lead foot). I hate being afraid that I will not make it fast enough to merge. The 1.8L engine is lagging and leaves a lot to be desired. When the condenser went on my AC it was NOT covered by their extended warranty which was a huge let down and expense. Overall this car gets me from A to B and starts up every morning.

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  Great truck for a horse farm - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Norman - March 5 - 2:00 am

  We could not be happier with this truck. Used to haul a 2 horse trailer, an equipment trailer, and to generally carry heavy or bulky stuff around on our small horse farm. Have driven in very hot weather, in deep snow, in heavy rain, and have had no problems at all. Do put on studded snow tires in the winter. Factory tires get great gas mileage but wear quickly. Only complaint is the Toyota standard navigation system, which I find very difficult to use. My other vehicles have Garmin nav, which is far better and a lot less money.